Don’t miss a second of the 2026 US Open qualifying
Don’t miss a second of the 2026 US Open qualifying
Tune in to see who will earn a spot in the final Grand Slam of the Tennis season.
The final tennis Grand Slam of the year is almost here, which means qualifying is set to get underway for the U.S. Open. The 2026 Women’s and Men’s singles U.S. Open Qualifying will begin Monday, Aug. 24, on ESPN2 and streaming on ESPN+ on the ESPN App. There are 16 open spots for each of the Women’s and Men’s draws, and the coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET, Monday, August 24, and culminates Thursday, Aug. 27, with all matches scheduled per day. The best way to make sure you don’t miss any of the action is a five-day free trial to DIRECTV.
How to watch 2026 U.S. Open Qualifying
- When: Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, at 11 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN+, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+
- Stream: Watch with a five-day free trial to DIRECTV or a subscription to ESPN+.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about 2026 US Open Qualifying
What is the schedule of the 2026 US Open Qualifying??
| Date | Time (ET) | Round | Outlet(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Aug. 24 | 11 a.m. | Qualifying First Round | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| Mon., Aug. 24 | 11 a.m. | Qualifying First Round (14 courts) | ESPN+ |
| Tue., Aug. 25 | 10 a.m. | Mixed Doubles First and Second Round, Qualifying First Round | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| Tue., Aug. 25 | 10 a.m. | Qualifying First Round (14 courts) | ESPN+ |
| Tue., Aug. 25 | 3 p.m. | Mixed Doubles First and Second Round | ESPN+ |
| Wed., Aug. 26 | 11 a.m. | Qualifying Second Round | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| Wed., Aug. 26 | 11 a.m. | Qualifying Second Round (14 courts) | ESPN+ |
| Wed., Aug. 26 | 7 p.m. | Mixed Doubles Semifinals | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| Wed., Aug. 26 | 9 p.m. | Mixed Doubles Championship | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| Thu., Aug. 27 | 11 a.m. | Qualifying Third Round | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| Thu., Aug. 27 | 11 a.m. | Qualifying Third Round (14 courts) | ESPN+ |
Why watch 2026 US Open Qualifying with a DIRECTV subscription?
The 2026 U.S. Open Qualifying will air mostly on ESPN+, which now lives inside the ESPN App. As opposed to the more expensive ESPN Unlimited tier, ESPN+ is found on the cheaper ESPN Select plan. DIRECTV offers ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost with its MySports Genre Pack, which normally costs $65 per month for 20+ sports channels, including ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, Golf Channel, and local broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
With a limited-time discount, new customers can get the MySports Genre Pack for just $50 per month for their first two months of service, plus a five-day free trial. Since the 2026 U.S. Open Qualifying is only a four-day affair, you can watch all of the qualifying rounds from start to finish for a great price, plus NFL preseason games, nationally broadcast MLB contests, and much more with the MySports Genre Pack.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.
Can you watch 2026 US Open Qualifying for free on any service?
The 2026 U.S. Open Qualifying is four days long and there are a handful of live TV streaming services that can potentially allow you to stream the four days of action for free. We’ve already discussed DIRECTV’s industry-best five-day guaranteed trial, but there are two others that could potentially allow you to watch the whole thing for free.
The length of YouTube TV’s free trial can be as short as two days, or as long as 21, depending on a variety of opaque variables. However, for the chance to get three weeks at no cost, it is likely worth going through the signup process to find out what they will offer you. After the trial ends, plans start at $83 per month, and the Sports Genre Plan now includes access to ESPN Unlimited as well.
Similarly, Fubo offers ESPN and ESPN Unlimited in its Pro and Elite plans, as well as the slimmed-down Fubo Sports service. The service offers a free trial of between one and seven days, but, like YouTube TV, it fluctuates depending on what time of month you subscribe and other factors.
Despite the fact that Hulu + Live TV is owned by Disney, as is ESPN, its free trial won’t allow you to watch all of qualifying. The streamer offers a three-day free trial to all new customers. ESPN is included in its sole channel package, and ESPN+ access is available through the Disney Bundle, which is included in all plans starting at $90 per month.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ESPN | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| ESPN2 | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
Watch a trailer for the 2026 US Open
What you need to know about the 2026 US Open
This will be an interesting slam for Tennis, as it feels wide open on both the men’s and women’s sides, making the qualifying rounds even more important. Carlos Alcaraz is back after missing the last two slams with a wrist injury, but 2026 Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner is out of the U.S. Open with a knee injury. Novak Djokovic is coming off an upset loss in the Cincinnati Open, and Alexander Zverev has struggled on the hard courts so far this season. Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and others will look to be the first American men to win a slam since Andy Roddick in 2003.
On the women’s side, Americans like Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova will look to take home the trophy on home grounds, while Elena Rybakina will look to take over the number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka. However, Rybakina had to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open against Iga Swiatek after suffering an ankle injury.
In addition to the four-day U.S. Open Qualifying, the two-day U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championship will feature 16 teams pairing top men’s and women’s players in competition for the title. ESPN2 will present live coverage Tuesday, August 25, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. ET, followed by additional coverage on ESPN+ on the ESPN App from 3 – 5 p.m. ET. The semifinals will be presented live on ESPN2, Wednesday, August 26, from 7-9 p.m. ET, with the Mixed Doubles Championship final beginning on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET.
Five-time consecutive U.S. Open champion and 2026 Hall-of-Fame inductee Roger Federer will return to New York for the first time since 2019 for an exhibition event at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, Aug. 25, with live coverage on ESPN2, Disney+, and ESPN+ on the ESPN App for subscribers from 8-10 p.m. ET.
“Stars of the Open” is a one-night exhibition featuring several of tennis’ leading young players at Arthur Ashe Stadium. World No. 25 João Fonseca, world No. 30 Alexandra Eala and Americans Learner Tien and Iva Jovic will team up to compete on Thursday, Aug. 27. The event will be presented live on ESPN2 and streaming on ESPN+ on the ESPN App from 6-9 p.m. ET.
The Mixed Doubles Championship and “Stars of the Open” are in the middle of the four-day U.S. Open Qualifying, so the five-day DIRECTV free trial will fall into this window.
What are all the services you can use to watch 2026 US Open Qualifying?
You can stream 2026 U.S. Open Qualifying with DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Sling TV will offer coverage of the qualifying airing on linear ESPN in its Orange package, which costs $46 per month or as little as $5 per day using Sling’s Passes.
ESPN Unlimited will stream 100% of the U.S. Open Qualifying. A subscription starts at $30 per month, but viewers can also opt for an ESPN Select subscription, which includes ESPN+, for just $13 per month.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN launched its highly anticipated direct-to-consumer streaming service on August 21, 2025. For the first time, this service gives sports fans access to its full lineup of linear channels without a traditional cable or satellite subscription.
How to watch the 2026 US Open Qualifying from anywhere
If you’ll be away from home and can’t watch the 2026 U.S. Open Qualifying as you normally would, you can still catch all of the action, no matter where you are in the world, with a VPN. A VPN can be used on your phone, tablet, or computer and make you appear to be back home — even when you’re not — making sure you feel at home no matter where you are. A VPN is a safe and secure way to stay protected online while streaming your favorite sports, movies, and shows on the go. Keep in mind that you will still need to be subscribed to a live TV streaming service like Sling TV in order to stream the tournament with a VPN.
NordVPN is one of the best providers around, at one of the best prices. Currently, you can get two full years of protection for just $3.59 per month — plus you’ll get three extra months FREE. A high-speed VPN with best-in-class security that can be used on up to 10 devices at once — what more could you ask for? Simply sign up, install the software on your device of choice, and start streaming just as you would back home. It couldn’t be easier!
While NordVPN is our recommendation for the best VPN to use while you are traveling, there are a number of other high-quality options available depending on what you are looking for.
- Best Features: ExpressVPN | Starting at $5 per month
- Best Budget Option: Surfshark | Starting at $2.50 per month
- Best Free Option: Proton VPN | Free plan available
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